Mumbai Beautification: Street Optics 

Has 'arbitrary' become the theme for Mumbai's beautification ?

On 9th December 2022, the Chief Minister announced around 1700 crore towards beautification projects in Mumbal. However, the term "beautification" has become somewhat ambiguous, often overshadowing fundamental urban challenges such as urban pedestrianisation mobility, affordable housing, better open spaces and road safety that have a greater impact on daily life. With substantial funds allocated, citizens expected real infrastructure improvements. Instead, they have seen wall paintings, animal installations, reworked medians, garish street lights and trees decorated with lights, prompting questions about priorities resulting in tax payers' money used callously towards creating a poorly curated show on the streets. The use of cheap materials has led to frequent repairs, creating an unsustainable maintenance cycle.

Thus the beautification efforts lack clear objectives and cohesion, with many projects being disconnected from residents' daily needs. Moreover, in some areas, basic infrastructure such as traffic signals and electricity remains unreliable, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the beautification efforts.

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At UCM, we have observed the ongoing beautification efforts in Mumbai, and we firmly believe that the work undertaken has detracted from the city’s authentic visual identity. Our goal is to ensure that the funds allocated for beautification are not wasted on transient and ill-conceived projects, but instead invested in long-term solutions that will sustainably improve the lives of all Mumbaikars.